We returned from our sojourn in the middle east last week – thanks again to our marvelous hosts (Ramsicle, Lina, Tony) – and have some stories to share for it. I’m trying to make my way through the photos – I think I took on the order of 600, and E probably has around 500 or so – so it may take awhile.

Some brief observations from the trip:

• We use too much water. Jordan has among the lowest water use per capita in the world, and yet it’s estimated that at least 45% of the water is lost via leaky pipes.
• Americans do not dress well, especially as tourists.
• Why can’t we travel to Saudi Arabia?
• I was amazed to hear from someone in the Japanese Embassy in Beirut that US Embassy employees cannot sleep outside of and/or leave the embassy unescorted. Shouldn’t we be more engaged in the region, rather than less?
• What purpose does Lebanon’s refusal to allow people with Israeli stamps in their passport from entering the country serve, in light of the fact that the US issues temporary passports to circumvent this restriction?
• Is it wise to build brand new condos in the desert?
• Toyota trucks must have a serious edge on the competition as far as desert reliability is concerned
• smoking bans in public places are awesome (Cairo, I’m looking at you)
• scarves in the rest of Jordan, not to mention the States, are overpriced, relative to Aqaba prices

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